Our five appetites mean our hunger is far more complex than we thought

It is crucial to understand your five-appetite system and how ultraprocessed foods have crashed this set-up – especially as they are so popular in lockdown

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IF YOU feel like your diet has completely gone to pot during lockdown, you probably aren’t alone. Stress and boredom are known risk factors for overeating, and there is emerging evidence that many people, in the UK at least, are struggling to resist the comforts of food. Medical authorities are already worried about a parallel pandemic of mental illness. Maybe they should add weight gain to the list.

An unhealthy diet is often blamed on poor choices and a lack of willpower. These can play a part, but new research on appetite tells us that they are far …